Chapter 1261: Refusal
"Heh heh, of course I came all this way to Tong Continent to save you. Didn't I just say so?"
Yang Haoran responded with a light smile. He had indeed said this before, but Ma Ling hadn't taken it seriously. To be precise, Ma Ling hadn't really processed Yang Haoran's words. Even now that Yang Haoran brought it up again, she still didn't quite believe him, because it seemed too preposterous in her eyes.
"Yang Ge, stop teasing me. Besides, I'm no longer that little girl I used to be. How could I possibly believe such words, the kind men use to trick young girls?"
Ma Ling said with a chuckle. From her expression and tone, it seemed she genuinely didn't believe Yang Haoran's claim.
"Heh heh, it seems I really can't fool you. To say I traveled all the way from Jingling Continent to Tong Continent just to save you, that's indeed a bit unrealistic. After all, I don't have the ability to precisely predict when you'll be in danger and arrive in time to rescue you from it."
Upon hearing Yang Haoran's words, Ma Ling's face showed an "I knew it" expression. From her reaction, it wasn't hard to tell that she believed Yang Haoran's explanation, as it seemed much more reasonable to her.
Yang Haoran took in Ma Ling's expression and, with a light smile, spoke again.
"However, it is the honest truth that I traveled all this way to Tong Continent specifically to see you. It's just that by the time I learned of your exact whereabouts, you were already trapped by the Corpse Driving Sect within a formation they had set up beforehand. When I arrived, I didn't immediately act to break through the restriction barrier and rescue you. On one hand, I couldn't be one hundred percent certain you were inside the restriction barrier. On the other hand, I didn't dare to act rashly within Corpse Ancestor City; I had my own reservations. When you forcibly broke through the restriction barrier and escaped Corpse Ancestor City, not only did I confirm your identity, but also, once we were outside Corpse Ancestor City, my concerns significantly lessened. Thus, the scene you witnessed unfolded."
Yang Haoran said with a light smile. Although his words contained both truth and falsehood, his lack of ill intent towards Ma Ling was genuine, and the fact that he saved her life was also undeniable.
"To come all this way just to see me, it must be something very important. I just wonder what crucial matter would be worth Yang Ge traveling such a great distance to meet me."
Seeing that Ma Ling had actively inquired about the matter, Yang Haoran no longer intended to be secretive.
"Your Ma Family in Ancheng aren't just experts at dealing with zombies; their attainments in array formations are also exceptionally high. I've always lacked a powerful Array Master by my side, and now the need for one has reached a pressing point. So, I hope you can return with me and help me."
Upon hearing Yang Haoran's words, Ma Ling's smile stiffened, and then her brow furrowed slightly, her expression becoming much more serious.
As Yang Haoran spoke, his gaze never left Ma Ling, so he saw all the subtle changes in her expression. Seeing her frown and her demeanor turn serious, he knew this matter would certainly not be smooth, perhaps even more troublesome than he imagined, but his own expression remained unchanged.
"You might not know this, but I've actually been looking for you for several years now. I was searching for you everywhere even before the great war ended, but there was never any news of you. Before I started searching the world for you, I visited your Ma Family's former residence, but it had long been deserted, the houses dilapidated and crumbling. It was clear at a glance that your Ma Family must have moved a long time ago. Originally, I still had Communication Talismans to contact your Ma Family, but those were only the lowest-grade Yellow Talisman Communication Talismans, with very limited transmission range, and they were single-use consumables. When I used up all the Communication Talismans I had and still couldn't reach your Ma Family, I confirmed that you must have moved far away from Ancheng."
At this point, Yang Haoran's voice paused slightly. Seeing that Ma Ling showed no intention of speaking, he continued.
"When I couldn't contact anyone from your Ma Family, I did consider giving up. Although Array Masters are rare in this world, the Ma Family isn't the only one skilled in the Dao of array formations. It wouldn't be difficult for me to find one or more Array Masters to serve me. However, finding an Array Master whom I trust and who possesses profound mastery in array formations — that's very difficult. I also have some connection with your Ma Family; to be precise, I have a deep connection with you, Ma Ling. So, even though your Ma Family's former residence was empty, I still wanted to ask your Ma Family for help, to lend me a hand. That's why, these past few years, I gave up the idea of recruiting other Array Masters and searched the entire world for your Ma Family, for you."
After uttering these words, Yang Haoran remained silent. He had said enough, made it clear enough. Now it was time to wait for Ma Ling's reply, and then, based on her response, continue the discussion. If he didn't give her a chance to speak, or implicitly prompt her to express her stance, and simply kept talking to himself, it would only backfire.
Sure enough, seeing Yang Haoran fall silent after his words, Ma Ling knew it was her turn to speak.
"Yang Ge, thank you for thinking so highly of me, and also for saving my life this time. I haven't even repaid your previous life-saving grace, and now I owe you another huge favor. This makes me feel incredibly guilty. If I could, I truly would want to go back with you. No matter what, I would repay your life-saving kindness. However, right now, I cannot leave with you, because I have something I absolutely must do here in Tong Continent. Until this matter is resolved, I absolutely will not leave Tong Continent, even if it means dying here."
Ma Ling's face was initially filled with apology, but as she spoke, the apology vanished, replaced by a strong surge of killing intent. Her originally serious expression also turned cold, though this intense killing intent was not directed at Yang Haoran.
"What is it? You can tell me. I think I might be able to help you. Is it something related to the Corpse Driving Sect?"
Yang Haoran's expression remained unchanged as he asked with a light smile.
"Yang Ge, you know about this?"
Ma Ling asked, but Yang Haoran only shook his head with a smile.
"Based on the information I've gathered, you seem to have some grievances with the Corpse Driving Sect. It appears you've been secretly targeting them for years, causing them some losses. Originally, I wasn't entirely sure if the information I had was accurate, but seeing you besieged by the Corpse Driving Sect's high-ranking members today, I can confirm that the facts are largely consistent with what I learned. However, that's all I know. I truly don't know the exact nature of your feud with the Corpse Driving Sect. If it's convenient, perhaps you could tell me about it? I believe I can definitely help you."
Ma Ling didn't speak immediately, as she didn't want to bring up the matter to Yang Haoran. However, Yang Haoran had already spoken so frankly that a direct refusal seemed somewhat inappropriate in her eyes. So, after a slight hesitation, she decided to tell Yang Haoran the full story.
"I share an irreconcilable, deep-seated hatred with the Corpse Driving Sect, because every single member of my Ma Family, save for myself, tragically perished at their hands. Without exception, all of them suffered Soul Transformation. I only survived by a stroke of luck; otherwise, I too would have died tragically at their hands."
Ma Ling paused here, took a deep breath, adjusted her emotions slightly, and then continued.
"Since I survived, I naturally must seek revenge against the Corpse Driving Sect. Otherwise, I cannot face my deceased family. However, the Corpse Driving Sect is an unshakeable behemoth before me. With my strength alone, I cannot directly confront the entire Corpse Driving Sect. Therefore, while diligently improving myself, I have also secretly sought out their isolated members. These individuals include both disciples and high-ranking members of the Corpse Driving Sect. Of all those I've targeted, if not all, then certainly the vast majority have suffered Soul Transformation, because each time I acted, I had made thorough preparations beforehand, thus the chances of failure were very low. Although everything I've done so far hasn't had a major impact on the Corpse Driving Sect, as long as I continue to grow stronger, I will absolutely make the Corpse Driving Sect pay an even heavier price!"
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